Sublime Infrastructure

Sublime Infrastructure presents a new field of research and development and job opportunities for society. The modern infrastructures used today have a huge eco footprint, especially the cement industry. New Earth-friendly solutions like growing cement from bacteria need to be explored.

Wherever possible, constructing buildings and structures from wood is much preferrable from cement. This is a little counterintuitive at first because we think only of cutting trees. However, if the growing demand for timber results in increasing forest cover through regulations, then we have a win-win situation. Not only do we gain more forest cover, but also we avoid the huge carbon footprint of cement production and create a large carbon sink because the carbon captured by the trees remain in the buildings as long as they stand (in contrast to re-release into the atmosphere when trees naturally decay). Nowadays multistory buildings can be made from wood. See also the Hyperions towers near New Delhi. So ideally the infrastructure industry works together with the forest and environmental departments to create the best possible solution for growing and harvesting timber in a way that increases forest cover, doesn’t disturb local eco systems and makes sure the mature trees are used for timber so their carbon remains stored instead of again being released.

A lot of houses and other structures can be built from mud, which has a durability of hundreds of years, compared to only roughly 60 years of cement. There are hundred years old multistory mud buildings. Mud has no production carbon footprint if sourced locally and is usually free. It is breathable and much more healthy than cement and can be made in ways that have much higher insulation properties. According to local needs, mud construction offers a big palette of diverse construction techniques like cob, adobe, rammed earth and strawbale buildings. One of the greatest benefits of mud housing is that it allows us to reconnect to Mother Earth and feel at home, as if living in Her womb. Also, mud allows for most efficient grounding/earthing benefits.

Roads can be made from recycled plastic and in more eco-friendly ways.